Working Title: Galactic Gang
by Flowerstar
Summary: My teaser of my upcoming Atomic Betty and Ratchet & Clank crossover fanfiction. Atomic Betty, Sparky and X-5 join forces with Ratchet and Clank to kick intergalactic butt.


The _Ratchet & Clank_ series, Ratchet, Clank, Nebulox Armour, OmniWrench Millennium 12, Dr. Nefarious, Omniblaster, RYNO VII and other properties belong to Insomniac Games and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe or America (depending on where in the world you live in). _Atomic Betty_, Betty Barrett/Atomic Betty, Sparky, X-5, Admiral DeGill, Maximus I.Q., Minimus P.U., Galactic Guardians, other locations, characters, planets, objects and so forth belong to Atomic Cartoons.

This is my teaser of what I have planned hopefully in the future which is a Atomic Betty and Ratchet & Clank crossover fanfiction. I had this idea for a while and I'm still trying to figure out how to get Atomic Betty and her space crew meeting up with Ratchet and Clank. I initially planned on using the crash landing idea but I already used that years ago when I wrote, "_Crash Landing on the Mushroom Kingdom_", back in 2005. Speaking of this story, the upcoming crossover fanfiction will serve as my first cosmic fanfiction since 2005. Anyway, I hope I got everyone in character. This is my first time getting them in character. Though, trying to get Clank and X-5 in character is kind of difficult due to the way they speak in an intelligent manner. You know how robots are like, they tend to spout too much information.

The reasons why I wrote this teaser and why I came up with this interstellar crossover is because I noticed how much _Atomic Betty_ and the_ Ratchet & Clank_ series have in common, both of them have the same sci-fi genre and their responsibilities are kinda similar. Plus, they kick intergalactic butt on a daily basis. I'm surprised no one have bothered to write a crossover about them so I took it upon myself to be the first person to bring them together. When I have thought of everything properly, I'll write the full story.

**Edit (25/10/2014): **Tomorrow (26th October) marks Clank's birthday and Daylight Savings Time. Happy early birthday, Clank! You were never a sidekick to Ratchet and you will never settle for second best! Don't let other people tell you otherwise! But other than that, I hate to set the clocks back by one hour. Perhaps I should play _Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked and Loaded_ to commemorate this special occasion. I would have written a special one-shot or a piece of fanart to celebrate his birthday but unfortunately, I won't be able to do it in time.

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><p><span>Atomic Betty and Ratchet &amp; Clank Fanfiction Crossover Teaser<span>

**(Working Title: Galactic Gang)**

At Maximus' citadel, Maximus I.Q. plotted his next scheme in his personal quarters to rid himself of the intergalactic crime fighters and the police force, the Galactic Guardians, alongside his henchman, Minimus P.U. According to him, their headquarters is located behind the planet Jupiter.

"At long last, my plan is finally complete! Soon, I'll have the entire universe under my control! Each pitiful being will bow down and obey my every whim. Not even those blasted Galactic Guardians can stop me now in my quest for galactic domination!" Maximus gloated with malevolent glee, lifting his furred hands to the ceiling while curling his fingertips.

"Not on my watch, you're not!"

Hearing the one voice he didn't wish to listen, the familiar female voice brought Maximus I.Q.'s focus to the formidable five which consists of Atomic Betty (who stood at the middle of her posse with her arms crossed), Sparky (who is standing on her left in a fighting pose while he puts up his hands and arms in front of him), X-5 (who is merely hovering on the spot with his robotic arms resting by each sides of his bright yellow-coloured body) and their recent team mates, Ratchet (who is wearing his Nebulox Armour and he gripped the OmniWrench Millennium 12 firmly in both of his gloved hands and a determined grin across his lips) and Clank (who simply placed both of his metallic hands on his hips while he narrowed his green optics menacingly). Regarding the team of intergalactic heroes, they were standing in the doorway to the villainous feline's personal quarters of his fortress.

"What the…? Atomic Betty?!" He exclaimed in a combination of downright aversion, detestation and astonishment all rolled into one, half not expecting the fearless five to burst in on his hideaway any time soon. He spat Betty's name as if it left a nasty taste in his mouth.

_Hmm… I don't remember seeing five Galactic Guardians. Perhaps Admiral DeGill must have recruited more members to his silly little team. Though, the furball and the miniature tin man are unfamiliar to me. _He stroked his whiskers and his beard in thought. He expected to see Atomic Betty and her space squad to crash his hideout as usual but not two additional temporary members to said crew to do it too. What caught his attention are Ratchet and Clank standing side by side along with Betty, Sparky and X-5. Therefore, he mistook the Lombax and his robot sidekick as the newly-recruited members of the Galactic Guardians.

"The jig is up, Maximus and Minimus! You're both coming with us to Galactic Guardian Headquarters! On behalf of the Galactic Guardians, I place you two under arrest!" Betty shouted in a commanding manner, pointing a finger at the lawbreakers. As a Galactic Guardian, it is her duty to enforce the law throughout the universe, arrest the criminals if they dared to break the law and if they resist surrendering, she and her team engage them in battle.

"We hereby charge you two living organisms with wilful, unauthorised domination of the universe. Surrender immediately and we will allow you walk to the headquarters on your own two feet." X-5 added in an authoritative manner, following suit after his leader while he hovered forward due to the lack of feet, in order to address his commanding tone to the convicts. Though, it is rare for him to act this way but he felt compelled to do so unless it is necessary.

"Yeah! Give up while you're still ahead!" Sparky agreed, being in agreement with his fellow teammates.

Becoming aware of his new friends' sudden change in their attitudes, Ratchet had the urge to inquire the trio. The way they spoke to the evildoers as if they are law enforcers or the police force reminded him of the Galactic Police and the Galactic Rangers from the galaxies he and Clank visited in their past stellar escapades. "What are you guys, the Galactic Police? Since when do you three have the authority to order them, let alone arrest them?"

Feeling hot under the collar, Betty stuttered and faltered in her words, aware that she nearly revealed anything related to her secret job as a Galactic Guardian and the Defender of the Cosmos. She understood it is against protocol and regulations for exposing her secret and the whereabouts of the headquarters to strangers and Earthlings. "Er… eh, heh…" She grinned sheepishly as tiny beads of sweat were forming on her forehead.

Luckily, the conversation never got any further and before Ratchet could question her, Maximus interrupts the conversation with his spiel.

"Oh, please, spare me! I beg for mercy and your forgiveness!" He pleaded with mock sarcasm, pretending to give up in order to fool his enemies as he fell down to his knees. With an evil laugh which reverberated through his lair and rebounded on the walls, followed by the ceiling, he rose up from the floor and sneered in the five protagonists' direction. "Ha! Not really. What are you going to do, arrest me?" He sneered, teasing the heroic quintet by trying his best to intimidate them. "Since all of you are here anyway, I'll finally be able to exterminate Atomic Betty and her ridiculous, goody two-shoe boy band. I'll pick all of you off, one by one." He rubbed his hands together as if he is hatching a diabolical, elaborate plan even as he uttered these words darkly in such a way as to send a shiver up the galactic quintet's spines and Ratchet's yellow-tinted fur to stand on end.

"Boy band?" Ratchet scoffed while he raised his eyebrow, the way he repeated these words as if he is about to burst into laughter.

"He's referring to you, Clank, Sparky and X-5. Nearly all of us are males except me." Betty whispered, stating the obvious since the space cat couldn't figure out what the antagonist is talking about.

"Oh, yeah?! You and what army?" Sparky challenged, snapping back at the infamous feline while the volume of his voice increased and he aimed his finger at him. Little did he know is he got himself and his companions in a heap of trouble?

"Well, now that you've mentioned it." The self-proclaimed Evil Overlord of the Galaxy narrowed his eyes at the green-skinned Neutropian, using his retort as an idea and his course of action.

Putting his strategy into action, he snapped his fingers and as if on cue, a squadron of Storm Troopers come marching in to the room in a line. Their feet were making clanging noises with every step they make. Due to the number of them, there are so many to count but one could guess that there could be more than a thousand of them. By the time they brought their marching to a close, they halted behind him and his main underling, awaiting their master's command.

Realising his mistake, Sparky uttered his words in an almost silent tone. "I had to ask."

"You had to open your big mouth." X-5 muttered in a retorting manner, sending a deadpan expression in his comrade's direction in disgust. If it were possible, he felt like he wanted to facepalm (or facepincer, if that is even a word) in disbelief but seeing as he is a robot, he couldn't.

"Hey! We can't all be geniuses here, smarty-pants! We all make mistakes."

Ignoring the squabble between Sparky and X-5 and using his chance to speak, Ratchet deposited his OmniWrench Millennium 12 back in his inventory and stepped forward with an expression which is between a cocky smile and a calm one on his face while he crossed his arms. As he raised his voice, he listed down the things Betty's foes could be devising. Due to his years of experience of intergalactic heroism, he knows his enemies all too well, even if Maximus and Minimus are his new adversaries. "What are you creeps up to? Let me guess, is it the utter annihilation of your enemies, enslaving people to do your evil bidding or is it the old-fashioned galactic conquest? C'mon, have some originality here!"

As if to bring the furry Lombax down with his negativity, Sparky's words were released from the right corner of his alien lips. "Yo, fuzzball, don't give them any ideas."

Due to his pointy, massive ears, Ratchet is able to pick up the green-coloured alien's remark very easily. Rather than retaliating with a growl or a glare, the Lombax simply deadpanned as if he is annoyed at his ally for ruining his moment of teasing his new-found nemesis while his ears drooped.

"Silence!" Maximus yelled, attracting the quintet's attention to him which effectively brought the chat between Ratchet and Sparky to a close. "Well, well, it appears we have some new enemies to play with. Enemies I'll have the distinct pleasure of disposing of. I suppose they're your new friends, Atomic Betty, how quaint. It's such a shame I have to jeopardise your new friendship with the furball and his trashcan you call a robot. It's too bad that this will be their last visit to this galaxy." He drawled, now noticing the new presence of the interstellar dynamic duo, Ratchet and Clank.

Maximus narrowed his cat eyes in an intimidating way, commanding his seemingly massive, deadly space armada into the battlefield. "My robots, seize them!"

The space squad stood their grounds in their fighting stances while Clank jumped back on to the attachment bolt which is stuck on to Ratchet's back which caused the diminutive robot acted as a backpack when he converted himself into a compact size, which allowed him to ride on his back.

Panic begins to set in when Sparky darted his eyes left and right frantically as he bit on his red gloves which were part of his uniform. He allowed his oval-shaped white eyes to wander all over his surroundings, there were swarms of Blood Monks and robots everywhere he looked in the fortress. "What are we gonna do?! We're surrounded!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it. We'll have to dispatch these goons one pack at a time. That's why we have to split up to cover more ground. No matter the odds and no matter what the outcome, we'll always triumph over evil. Maximus isn't going to seize control of the universe when we're here!" Betty instructed, laying out her thought out strategy to her squadron while she glanced at each of the members. Once she finished enlightening them, she provided them with a word of advice. "Remember, together we're united, divided we fall."

"That's right! We're not gonna stand by and allow him and his legion of minions to wreak havoc on the galaxy! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's kick some intergalactic butt!" Ratchet piped up, pounding his fist into his open palm as he is determined to help Betty and her spaceship crew to putting an end to Maximus' and Minimus' malicious plans and extremely eager to open a can of butt whupping all in the name of justice for the universe.

Betty stretched out her hand palm downwards, which is concealed by one of her white gloves of her uniform. "For the universe!" She then glanced at X-5 expectantly. "For the Galactic Guardians!" X-5 declared in his usual monotone voice, placing his red arch-shaped pincer on top of his captain's white-gloved hand. "For the Solar System!" Sparky proclaimed, promptly laid his red-gloved hand over X-5's curve-shaped robotic pincer. "For old and new friends!" Ratchet shouted, positioning his gloved hand upon the green-coloured Neutropian's hand. Noting that Clank is a lot shorter than everyone else, the Lombax removed his hand before he bent down to his level and picked him up by his legs, wrapping them around one of his arms. "For intergalactic peace and justice!" Clank rest his smaller metallic digits which make up one of his hands, followed by the fuzzball mechanic.

When they all came to an agreement to nail Maximus, Minimus and their flotilla once and for all, all for the right reasons, one by one they withdrew their hands (and pincer, in X-5's case) from the stack, thrusting their arms and hands in the air before they yelled, "Yeah!", in unison. Once this is done, Clank hopped back on to the attachment belt which is fastened securely to Ratchet's back, transforming into his compact size and remaining dormant for the time being. That is, until he wished to chat with his best pal or provide him with a word of advice if he requires them.

Luckily, taking on hordes of robots or a massive quantity of extra-terrestrial enemies is everyday life for all of them when it comes to being interplanetary saviours. Therefore, they were fully prepared and anticipate their every move as well as counteracting their attacks. In fact, they were able to put an end to everything their fiendish foes threw at them.

"Battle formations, boys!" Betty commanded, calling her teammates to battle and to alert them to prepare to defend themselves for the sake of the galaxy and the universe.

She started the battle off by jumping into the air with both of her arms in the air and her hands balled into a pair of clenched fists before releasing a flurry of athletic skills and attacks which could rival Ratchet's own set of moves; despite he never relied on hand-to-hand combat. In terms of fighting techniques, she is versatile, capable of adapting to utilising weapons, gadgets and hand-to-hand combat. Putting her martial art abilities to good use, she delivered a roundhouse kick to the nearest robot. "Hi-ya! Ya! Eee-ya!" Her battle cries and karate yells echoed through the room nonstop every time she kicked and punched the other robots one after the other in succession.

By the time she finished flaunting her athletic moves, she landed on the floor with a pose which depicted her in a crouching position with her left leg kneeling, her right leg stretching across the ground while her right, white-hued boot pointing in a diagonal direction, her left arm and hand outstretched with her fingers spread out and her right arm and hand touching the floor while numerous robots were crumpled in a heap behind her, defeated. As for her face, her eyebrows were arched downwards with a fierce and determined frown across her red lips.

Meanwhile, X-5 is dealing with the other pack of robots. He spun his body like a top, knocking them away while they were sent flying in various different directions each time they collided with him. When he is done with spinning, he followed it up with obliterating the remaining robots with his laser. A "strike" sound can be heard when his deadly laser managed to hit another crowd of robots like bowling pins.

As for Sparky, he managed to dispatch an array of robots unarmed with his combating skills and he occasionally used his ray gun to shoot lasers at them. As a result, they were either sent soaring in numerous directions due to him throwing them over his shoulders across the room which cause them to crash into walls or they end up being reduced to piles of scrap metal. If needed, he kick-started his jetpack (which is attached to the back of his Galactic Guardian uniform) to engage more robots in battle.

Still relying on her expertise in hand-to-hand combat, Betty jumped on a nearby robot and pulled the head clean off its robust, silver body. Spotting her furred teammate close to her, she called to him to get his attention. "Ratchet, heads up!" She kicked a robot head straight up above her head like a football.

The sudden movement caused the head to become aerodynamic as it is sent flying at a break-neck speed but its speed isn't as fast as a spaceship or travelling at hyperspace or light speed.

"I got it!" Ratchet yelled, running under the incoming robot skull with his Omniblaster in hand which he withdrew from his arsenal of high-tech weapons not too long ago. When he set his sights on the incoming robot head, he stopped sprinting when he is near the metallic cranium, he closed one eye whilst he took aim and a high-velocity proton blast instantly fired from the weapon the second he squeezed the trigger. Once the projectile comes into contact with its target, it shattered the head and… _BOOM!_ It exploded into millions and millions of shards which promptly fell to the floor just like confetti in a heap. Speaking of the pieces, they were made up of different shapes and sizes which make up the smashed head. "All right! He shoots, he scores!" He pumped his fist up in the air in success, celebrating that he successfully wiped out the head without any problem.

He and Clank felt right at home due to a few reasons. First, they are in outer space in spite they are in a different galaxy and secondly, they were already familiar with fighting multitudes of robots and evil aliens on a daily basis throughout their past astral adventures. Their years of experience in doing battle with robots and extra-terrestrials came in handy when they were assisting Betty and her space group in their quest to save the cosmos.

"Good work, Ratchet! I commend you on your accuracy and precision." Clank praised, congratulating the Lombax on reducing the robot head to a pile of scrap metal without breaking a sweat.

Twirling the trigger of his Omniblaster with one finger with nothing but pride and self-accomplishment for himself and feeling his ego inflate a bit; Ratchet couldn't help himself but soak in the praise his sidekick showered him with. "Thanks, pal! Well, that's what these bucket of bolts get for messing with us. Looks like showing the wrongdoers what-for during our adventures for the sake of saving the universe have really paid off."

Before they have the opportunity to converse with each other, they heard a familiar female voice coming from behind them as the quintet regrouped. The dynamic duo whirled their heads around and it turns out the voice belonged to Betty, who executed a front aerial, followed by a series of forward somersaults which is her method of travelling to her male teammates. When she brought her acrobatics to an abrupt halt, she casually walked to Ratchet and Clank while X-5 is hovering forward towards them on the left side of her and Sparky made his way to them too on the right side of her.

"Don't celebrate just yet. There are more robots and Blood Monks heading our way!" She warned her buddies, informing them the fight still isn't over and there are more things yet to come. Hearing these words from Betty caused Ratchet's ears to wilt, X-5's antennae to droop and Clank's antennae to flop down in disappointment and annoyance. Despite the setback, she notified them with her assumption of how her archenemy handles things on the battleground. "Knowing Maximus, he will constantly send them out in order to overwhelm and outnumber us until they wipe us all out."

"Doesn't that pussycat ever give up?" Sparky inquired to his associates in slight irritation, referring to Maximus I.Q. His displeased face bears the current mood of the rest of his acquaintances. Though they are used to holding their own against hordes of enemies and bringing the hurt on them, they are starting to become exhausted from battling them after what seemed like an innumerable amount of hours. There seem to be no end to Maximus' cronies.

"Apparently not." X-5 muttered in a matter of fact kind of tone, stating the obvious and this is something everyone didn't need to hear twice.

"Thanks for the info, Captain Obvious." Sparky spat, rolling his eyes at the yellow-tinted robot's monotone answer to his question on the current state of affairs.

Before Sparky and X-5 continued arguing once again, the remaining troops of Maximus' army were closing in on them, Betty, Ratchet and Clank which effectively stopped the quarrel. Things may be looking grim for the galactic gang but they stood their ground and they refused to fall without a fight, regardless of being outnumbered. However, the troops stepped aside to allow their master and his henchman to walk towards the protagonists. All of the heroes glared heatedly at the baddies with nothing but absolute hatred for them but Ratchet simply growled lowly through his clenched teeth while his hands were balled into clenched fists.

"Isn't this a surprise? Well, Atomic Betty, you have always been a thorn in my side but I'm afraid our encounter won't last long. It's been nice knowing you but frankly, it hasn't. Any last words, Galactic Guardians, before I personally wipe you all from the face of the universe?" Maximus gloated, seeing that everything is going according to plan and he assumed he had the upper hand for the time being. There is nothing that makes him happier than witnessing his enemies being cornered with nowhere to escape.

As sooner as Maximus I.Q. finished his monologue, Ratchet seemingly equipped his RYNO VII from out of nowhere. His smug grin could only mean one thing: never, **EVER** mess with a trigger happy Lombax. "Yeah, there is something I'd like to say." As he pulled the trigger on his devastatingly powerful weapon which is capable of mass destruction, he carefully took aim at the Morbidian Blood Monks and the evil robots which also served as Maximus' minions. "Eat this, you wussy goons!"

Once he squeezed the trigger, all of a sudden a never-ending hail of bullets were launched in a spraying formation while it launched a missile from the centre barrel of the gun whilst the outer barrels spewed bullets in a similar fashion to two overlapping mini guns. It acted like a machine gun, a shotgun and a rocket launcher all in one. Furthermore, it had 1500 rounds of ammunition and it had a colossal 3000 rounds of ammo at VX which it had the tendency to consume at an alarmingly amazing rate. However, the bullets lost their firepower from a distance and they also emitted like no tomorrow. Unlike a shotgun, the outer barrel is automatic and it ejected bullets repeatedly. Finally, the rocket launcher property is the reason the weapon released a pair of rockets every six seconds. This cued the "_Night on Bald Mountain_" music to start playing out of nowhere as the ammo is fired in tune with the music. It is like there is no stopping to Ratchet's carnage.

"Noooooo! What are you doing to my precious hideout?!" Maximus screamed at the top of his lungs at the utmost level of volume, exclaiming in desperation above the noisy hubbub which is coming from Ratchet's weapon since he couldn't bear to see his new enemy laying waste to his headquarters. Witnessing the destruction in every corner of his citadel, he had the urge to pull put his feline hair in sheer frustration. Grasping the realisation of who is causing the senseless destruction, he turned to face the Lombax with daggers in his eyes. "Robots and Blood Monks, vaporise this accursed space cat! Stop him at all costs before he causes any more damage to my beautiful citadel! Blast him into the next galaxy!" He ordered, pointing one of his fingers at the Lombax, who is currently occupied with firing his weapon rapidly with continuous fire.

"Take cover, boys! Get behind me! This is going to get gnarly!" Betty commanded her allies, attempting to shout over the earthshattering noise coming from the explosions in the background. Due to her quick thinking and planning ahead, she pressed on one of the buttons of her bracelet which projected a bright blue energy shield in front of her which provided her (and her team) with protection from oncoming attacks and projectiles. She used it just in case one of the missiles, rockets or ammunition hit her, her pilot and her navigator by accident.

On her command, Sparky and X-5 obeyed her order by hiding safely behind her.

"You got it, chief!" Sparky saluted, obeying his leader's command. With that, he dashed past her and by the time he arrived at his destination, he hid behind her just for good measure.

"Affirmative, Captain." X-5 nodded, he hovered towards his commanding officer and once he reached her and Sparky, he hid his friends' backs safe from harm. In case one of the rogue robots ambush him from behind, he turned back with his back facing Sparky and moved his arms forward in front of him to project a temporary blue energy shield which is identical to hers. Witnessing the carnage which the Lombax left in his wake, the yellow-coloured robot forwarded his question to the red-haired captain of the starcruiser. "Captain, how much longer we need to withstand an onslaught of enemies?"

Turning her head to fix her pale green eyes on X-5 as she responded to his question, Betty still lifted her arm upwards to her face in order to keep the temporary forcefield stable and to maintain its power. "Not long. I'm sure we can count on Ratchet to hold his own for a while. He got this covered. In the meantime, we must bide our time until the time is right to strike back."

Due to how deafening the explosions (which were caused by the rapid-fire of the missiles and the rockets being launched from Ratchet's RYNO VII) were in the background, Sparky covered his pointed, elf-like ears with his hands as he endeavours to do his very best to raise his voice above the racket but to no avail. In fact, the explosions are drowning out his voice. "Craters! At this rate, he's gonna blow this place up to smithereens!"

"By my calculation, I predict 70% probability of this building to disintegrate into nothing but mere fragments." X-5 replied matter-of-factly, estimating the likelihood of the hideout to be abolished or at least, almost in ruins. Though, he is stating the truth, this kind of news proved to be both good (the good part is Maximus and his army will have nowhere to devise their schemes) and bad (the bad part is there is a possibility of the citadel to crumble under its weight, taking everyone down in the building with it) for him and his teammates.

"Not helping here, mainframe!"

"Boys, knock it off! Do I have to separate you two every time you disagree on petty things?" Betty scolded at her quarrelling teammates, whirling her head to scowl ferociously at them. Not only is she trying to concentrate on keeping the mercenaries at bay, she is peeved at her companions for squabbling at a rotten time.

In reaction to his chief's sudden outburst, Sparky found himself stammering and faltering in his words, not expecting her to lose her temper and taking it out on her comrades. "N-no, chief."

Even X-5 is rendered petrified upon eye contact with his captain. Bolts and screws were spurting out of his head in fright as he quivered and fumbled with his words under her wrath. "Ne-Negative, Captain."

In the midst of the chain of explosions ringing out in the citadel, Maximus held his fuzzy head in exasperation and desperation, experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions at the moment. Occasionally, there are sounds of expensive objects shattering in the distance due to the missiles and rockets colliding into them. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if they managed to smash any of his rubber, glass and ceramic ducks to an immeasurable quantity of bits. He is too occupied with ordering his troops around to destroy the trigger happy galactic Lombax; he failed to notice any of this happening. Given the situation, he focused all of his efforts on ridding himself of Ratchet instead of his arch nemesis, Atomic Betty, for now. "Annihilate him, you fools! Don't let him leave your sight! If you tin heads and you moronic Blood Monks don't destroy him, Minimus and I won't have a place to live in and formulate my schemes!"

Now spotting his top subordinate swaying one finger left and right repetitively in rhythm to the music while he grasped the remote which is responsible for the classical music and he shut his eyes, Minimus jumped in alarm to the voice of his employer, which effectually snapped him out of his brief trance.

"Minimus! Turn that infernal racket down!" Maximus snarled, instructing his underling to silence the music completely since it is distracting him from ending the lives of his old and new-found nemeses.

"Yes, your evilness." Minimus answered, reluctantly doing as he is told. His head instantaneously swivelled around to display his evil face with a loud clicking sound while his other face is not in use, the eyes were closed and it became dormant for the time being. Speaking of his sinister face, his eyes were yellow with tiny, red pupils. "You could have switched it off yourself. I'm only listening to this music for added dramatic effect." He grumbled in displeasure, not liking the idea of turning off the music when he is listening to the music to his heart's content.

"Grrrrr…!"

"I mean, I'll shut it down just for you if it will make you happy." Minimus obliged unwillingly, his head reverted back to his sycophant head with the usual ear-splitting sound before placing his arms and hands over his head in case he is on the receiving end of Maximus' physical abuse before he removed his arms and hands from his skull and built up the courage to pull out a remote from out of nowhere. He pressed one of the buttons to switch off the music. _Darn it, and I was getting into this piece of music. _He thought to himself with dissatisfaction, just when he is enjoying the orchestra music, his boss forced him to deactivate it. He initially would have said this out loud to make his opinion known but he refrained himself from speaking, lest he get battered violently.

The instant the music ended, so did the relentless storm of bullets, missiles and rockets from Ratchet's RYNO VII. The aftermath of the carnage is the absolute wreckage of the hideout, the remnants of the defeated evil robots, Blood Monks and minions were spattered and scattered everywhere in plain sight and the smoke billowing from his weapon leaving the villainous duo open-mouthed in disbelief and utter shock.

In Maximus' case, his right eye, right eyebrow and right whisker twitched (in a similar fashion to how he reacted when the old Galactic Guardian Headquarters exploded into countless pieces and debris, thanks to the bumbling actions of Noah and Minimus) in astonishment which soon turns to infuriation. Not only is he furious of his centre of operations nearly being demolished as if a tornado ravaged through it, he is also enraged that his minions have their behinds being handed to them by the owner of said weapon. It looks like he had a new threat to deal with, aside from the Galactic Guardians.

"And that's how you take care of business!" Ratchet declared in triumph, lifting his prized weapon in the air above him with both of his gloved hands as if he is brandishing a trophy. He blew the smoke away in dignified pleasure. After that display of heroism, he couldn't help himself but showboat a bit.

"Impossible! How can this be?! You wretched space rat defeated all of my underlings in one fell swoop!" Maximus stamped on the very ground he is standing on as if he is throwing a tantrum, gobsmacked at how can one guy can cause this much damage to a secluded floating fort. He isn't expecting a temporary humiliating defeat at the hands of Ratchet. Although, the fiendish feline never used the words, 'space rat', it is appropriate at a time like this, seeing as it is the only verbal abuse he could come up with right now. Speaking of which, 'space rat' is a common insult to a Lombax. He may lack the knowledge of the origin of the insult but he resorted to using it nevertheless. "Not only that, but you trashed my hideout! I'll have you know that I live here!" The volume of his voice progressively increased which every word he bellowed out in outrage. With each word he hollered, the volume just keeps rising and rising. _Ooooh…! I must have underestimated this alien kitty. Whatever and whoever he is, he'll pay dearly for this! How dare he could waltz into my territory and nearly destroy it?! I wouldn't have a home because of him!_ A trail of thought entered his mind straight away, one after another as he imagined himself exploding into rage, ranting at Ratchet in his head.

Dismissing Maximus' ranting like it is nothing, Ratchet displayed a sense of confidence and self-respect, taking pride in his dexterity of using powerful weapons such as the RYNO VII he equipped himself with. No one stood a chance, not when said auto-targeting missile launcher is in his possession. "I may not be a Galactic Guardian or whatever it is you're going on about, but I know how to handle myself on the battlefield. That, and intergalactic heroism is my thing." He pointed his thumb at his chest overconfidently while he flashed a cocky grin which is oozing with assertiveness and he puffed said chest out as he said the words, "_my thing_", which were derived from the sentence, "_That, and intergalactic heroism is my thing_". "You know, no one will hear you scream in space. So, just calm down and relax." He remarked in a laidback tone of voice, pushing both of his gloved hands in front of his chest as if he is trying to tell the infamous feline wrongdoer to quieten down and paying no mind to the now decimated liar. "And here I though Alister's temper is bad." He whispered to no one in particular, in reality he is muttering this to the sentient sentry-bot robot who is attached to his back. "Hey, dude. You ought to take anger management classes." He suggested with a light-hearted snigger, half matter-of-factly and half annoyingly cocky or sarcastic in speech. Upon hearing this comment, Clank let loose his trademark chuckle, cracking up due to the cheeky retort.

"No one makes a mockery out of Maximus!" Maximus' face and the whole of his body immediately turned bright red which is equivalent to a tomato as if he is on the brink of exploding with rage, due to the harsh truth and the fact he didn't take it too lightly. The last time he became this enraged is when he got pranked by the host of the 3V show, "_Prank'd_", which is Sparky's favourite show. Despite his new enemies teasing him, all the fury in his tone of voice and posture and the anger that he built up within him evaporated into thin air and a sinister smirk slowly crept across his face with a new-found confidence gradually growing inside of him. Concerning his confidence, he assured himself that his armada will swiftly make Ratchet regret he never recommended him to undertake anger management classes and taking out his forces singlehandedly with one blow. "No matter, you won't be so lucky when I send out my elite forces. I'll wipe that smirk off your face when I'm done with you, your pathetic walking toaster and the rest of the Galactic Guardians."

Clank cringed at these offensive words, "_pathetic walking toaster_". Even though it is hard to detect the emotions on his cold metallic face, they did made him upset emotionally. Maximus is the next villain to treat him like dirt, besides Dr. Nefarious. Back then, Ratchet treated him the same way during his first adventure with his life-long best chum and partner but not as harsh as the aforesaid megalomaniacs.

However, Ratchet isn't having it and figures that enough is enough. He stormed towards Maximus and when he reaches him, he locked his emerald eyes on to his miniscule eyes fiercely while he is seething through his clenched teeth as if they are engaged in an immensely intense staring contest. "That tears it! No one ever talks to my best friend that way." Leave it to Ratchet to defend his long-time best friend. If there is anything he loathes more than being alone, staying in one place or being told what to do, it is anybody mistreating his first and best friend. Due to his short stature, he had to crane his neck high with the intention of looking at Maximus in the eye.

"Why do you care for the defective hunk of aluminium alloy? Is he of any use to you? I highly doubt this malfunctioned tin head will be beneficial to you, considering his size and stature." Maximus continues on affronting Ratchet and Clank, but mainly said miniscule robot. He carried on blathering about how inadequate the automaton is, trying to lower his self-esteem.

"He may be defective to you but he's more than just a sentient robot, he's my best friend in the whole universe and he's like a brother to me. Sure, we may have a love-hate relationship but we still have each other's backs."

"Metaphorical and literally speaking, Ratchet." Clank added, taking the opportunity to add his words to the dialogue and interjecting the confrontation.

"Yeah, that too, Clank." Ratchet nodded, concurring with his robotic best friend for life while he pause the conversation. At this point, they bumped their fists against one another just like they occasionally do during their previous cosmic quests. He resumed the dispute with the villainous, tyrannical felinian, continuing to glower in his direction. "I don't care what you think, Maximus. What we've been through as a team will never amount to nothing. I wouldn't know what I do without him. Besides, you shouldn't judge him by his size and height. The point is I wouldn't trade him for a different robot or for all the bolts in the universe. Clank and I are sticking together until the bitter end, whether you like it or not."

Maximus opened his mouth to bite back, as Ratchet expected, but he closed his mouth to refrain himself from counteracting the Lombax's retort. Instead, he reopened his mouth to order his main minion to get the second wave of his army ready. "I don't have time to listen to your trivial lecture on friendship. Minimus, prepare wave two of my army. Let this be a lesson to anyone who dared to defy me and stand in my way of galactic domination."

"Oh! Right away, master." Minimus responded in an obedient manner, taking heed of the order from his employer without hesitation. He switched the remote which operates the music with a different remote which functions as a device to automatically open doors which he or his boss couldn't unlock themselves.

With a push of the huge red button which is situated at the centre of the remote, the second wave of the armada strutted in the room from the same doorway the first wave of enemies filed in. Every time they swayed their arms and hands back and forth as they marched, their bodies moved and their feet stomped in synchronisation. Typically, said wave consisted of the Storm Troopers and the Morbidian Blood Monks just like the previous myriad of soldiers. Ratchet and Clank looked on with tremendous determination, retaining a battle stance, lest the opposition made their move first.

"Be careful, Ratchet, here is another incoming wave of enemies. Be prepared for anything." Clank cautioned, advising the Lombax to prepare for the next round of the skirmish (which will determine the fate of the universe and the Solar System) with the evil mastermind, his top underling and his army. Lest he fails, he, Clank, Betty, Sparky and X-5 will be under the mercy of their foes.

"Don't worry your little metal head about it, Clank, I got this under control." Ratchet assured his long-time best friend with a reassuring smirk. Having the desire to kick space booty once again, he tried to reactivate his weapon only to find it not working. _Click, click!_ These familiar sounds indicate that he ran out of ammunition due to wasting them on the first wave of Maximus' armada. His expression of dread told Clank all he needed to know as his enormous ears flopped in discontent. "Aww, crud. What a way to run out of ammo."

"Ratchet, be reasonable. May I propose you deploy your less-potent weaponry before you utilise the powerful artilleries within your inventory? This enables you to switch between gadgetry and weaponry strategically and wisely without misusing ammunition willy-nilly."

"Now, you tell me."

* * *

><p>Well, there you have it, the teaser of my upcoming Atomic Betty and Ratchet &amp; Clank crossover fanfiction. I'm sorry for ending the battle there, this is a teaser for a reason and that's why it is unfinished. Teasers tend to be unfinished anyway. So, review away and please no flames or harsh comments. Constructive criticism is fine as long as you tell me what I should improve on.<p> 


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